Jamie Willis, the Family Justice Center project coordinator, leads a tour of the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

Jamie Willis, the Family Justice Center project coordinator, leads a tour of the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. Nathan Papes/News-Leader

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"The county commissioners were super amazing in letting us use this space temporarily," she said. "Because without that, this would not have been able to happen as quickly."

Once the center is in operation, Willis said the steering committee will have a better idea of what a suitable permanent location would look like.

Described as a "one-stop-shop for victims of domestic violence," the center brings together law enforcement, nonprofit service providers like Harmony House and the Victim Center, legal services, children's division and the prosecutor's office all in one location.

Willis recently gave the News-Leader a tour.

"It's a lot different atmosphere than it is out in the courthouse," she said, motioning around the front lobby to the freshly painted, pale blue walls.

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Jamie Willis, the Family Justice Center project coordinator, leads a tour of the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018.(Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)

Within the center, there are four "soft interview" rooms. Each room has a couch and living room-type furniture, rather than just a table and chairs common in traditional interview rooms.

Local interior designer Kris Evans, with Buxton Kubik and Dodd Design Collective, donated her time to create the soft interview rooms

"The courthouse is not really a friendly environment," Willis continued. "Especially for people in crisis. So when they come in, the atmosphere completely changes."

When victims come to the center, they will be checked in and screened. Then a navigator — a victim advocate from either Harmony House or the Victim Center — will explain what service providers are at the center. The victims decide who they want to talk to in the interview room.

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The entrance to the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018.(Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)

The victim might want to speak with law enforcement, a prosecutor and children's division. Or the victim might want to speak solely with legal services about getting a divorce or an ex parte.

"They choose what services they are interested in," Willis said. "(The navigator) will grab all of those partners and bring them into the interview room so (the victim) is only telling their story once."

In creating the center, Patterson, Williams and Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott worked closely with Casey Gwinn, president of the Family Justice Center Alliance.

"The whole notion of family justice centers is that everybody comes together. You bring together police officers, prosecutors, advocates, nurses, doctors, therapists, faith-based professionals," Gwinn explained in an earlier interview. "It's people working together to create a community of hope for survivors."

Last year, Greene County voters approved a tax increase and Springfield voters approved a tax renewal, both of which will help fund the center. The Greene County budget approved in January puts $500,000 toward planning and implementation of the center.

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Jamie Willis, the Family Justice Center project coordinator, leads a tour of the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018.(Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)

Willis said the center is in the process of becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and will be able to apply for grants.

Greene County's is the 25th affiliated Family Justice Center in the U.S.

According to information provided by the Family Justice Center Alliance, other communities that have followed the Family Justice Center model have reported a drop in domestic homicide rates and have improved criminal justice responses (more prosecutions of offenders). Benefits for service providers include the elimination of duplication of services and increases professional development as they learn how best to help one another.

Sheriff Arnott said in an earlier interview that often times, victims of domestic violence do not have a vehicle to drive to the various agencies in Springfield that offer services.

"It becomes very difficult because you are dealing with real-life situations, dealing with their kids, dealing with their family, their job, those kinds of things," Arnott had said. "This one-stop-shop concept takes care of that."

Willis said there will not be medical staff at the center. If someone needs medical attention, the center has a small budget for transportation and will get that person to Mercy, Cox or Jordan Valley Medical Center.

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An interview room at the Family Justice Center located on the second floor of the Greene County Courthouse on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018.(Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)

The center will eventually have a sexual-assault nurse examiner (SANE) on staff.

Willis said the center will not be duplicating the services provided at the Child Advocacy Center, where child abuse victims are examined and interviewed by specially trained professionals.

If child abuse is reported or suspected at the Family Justice Center, Willis said they are mandated to report that.

"Then a police officer or Children's Division would connect them with the Child Advocacy Center. They are one of our off-site partners," Willis said. "Their executive director is on our steering committee, so they are involved in our process."

Willis said they don't have any idea yet how many people will be served on a daily basis at the center. They will take referrals from other agencies as well as walk-ins.